A former Marine who will be presented with the Medal of Honor for braving enemy fire to find and retrieve the bodies of three missing Marines and a Navy corpsman deserves the award, according to the half-brother of one of the deceased men.

Chase Goodman of Pikeville, Ky., told the Lexington Herald-Leader that he hopes Dakota Meyer receives nationwide recognition when he is presented with the nation’s highest military decoration for valor.

Goodman says he believes Meyer’s actions to try to save the men in Afghanistan in 2009 were “just extraordinary” and called him a true hero.

Meyer, who is originally from Kentucky, left active duty last year and now lives in Austin. He will be the first living Marine in 41 years to receive the award.